The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 28, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 13, 1996
Chris A Wadzinski, Inver Grove Heights, MN (US);
Bart T Ellson, Chanhassen, MN (US);
Anthony N Pink, Shorewood, MN (US);
Jay J Kakuk, Plymouth, MN (US);
The Toro Company, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
A control system for selectively actuating a component on an outdoor power equipment unit, such as a blade on a lawn mower, uses two separate and distinct operator actions to prevent inadvertent actuation. The control system includes a pivotal bail that must be pivoted from a first component disengaged position to a second component engaged position in which the bail lies flat against the handle assembly of the outdoor power equipment unit. A slide is slidably mounted on a housing, carried on one of the legs of the bail, for movement towards and away from the pivot axis of the bail. The slide must be pushed down to engage the lower end of the slide with a notch in a pivotal cam to temporarily link the cam to the bail in order to actuate the component. When the bail is released to return to its initial position, camming surfaces on the lower end of the slide and the notch are effective to mechanically cam the slide back up to its disengaged position where the lower end of the slide has disengaged the notch.